Do Health Workers' Preferences Influence their Practices? Assessment of Providers' Attitude and Personal use of new Treatment Recommendations for Management of Uncomplicated Malaria, Tanzania.

\ud \ud Due to growing antimalarial drug resistance, Tanzania changed malaria treatment policies twice within a decade. First in 2001 chloroquine (CQ) was replaced by sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) for management of uncomplicated malaria and by late 2006, SP was replaced by artemether-lumefantrine (AL). We assessed health workers' attitudes and personal practices following the first treatment policy change, at six months post-change and two years later. Two cross-sectional surveys were conducted in 2002 and 2004 among healthcare workers in three districts in South-East Tanzania using semi-structured questionnaires. Attitudes were assessed by enquiring which antimalarial was considered most suitable for the management of uncomplicated malaria for the three patient categories: i) children below 5; ii) older children and adults; and iii) pregnant women. Practice was ascertained by asking which antimalarial was used in the last malaria episode by the health worker him/herself and/or dependants. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with reported attitudes and practices towards the new treatment recommendations. A total of 400 health workers were interviewed; 254 and 146 in the first and second surveys, respectively. SP was less preferred antimalarial in hospitals and private health facilities (p<0.01) in the first round, and the preference worsened in the second round. In the first round, clinicians did not prefer SP for children below age of 5 and pregnant women (p<0.01), but two years later, they did not prefer it for all patient scenarios. SP was the most commonly used antimalarial for management of the last malaria episode for health workers and their dependants in both rounds, in the public sector (p<0.01). Health workers in the dispensaries had the highest odds of using SP for their own treatment [adjusted OR- first round: 6.7 (95%CI: 1.9-23.4); crude OR- second round: 4.5 (1.5-13.3)]. Following changes in malaria treatment recommendations, most health workers did not prefer the new antimalarial drug, and their preferences worsened over time. However, many of them still used the newly recommended drug for management of their own or family members' malaria episode. This indicates that, other factors than providers' attitude may have more influence in their personal treatment practices

Packaging of RF Mems Switching Functions on Alumina Substrate

Recently the strong demands in wireless communication requires expanding development for the application of RF MEMS (Radio Frequency micro electro mechanical systems) sensing devices such as micro-switches, tunable capacitors because it offers lower power consumption, lower losses, higher linearity and higher Q factors compared with conventional communications components. To accelerate commercialisation of RF MEMS products, development for packaging technologies is one of the most critical issues should be solved beforehand.Comment: Submitted on behalf of TIMA Editions (http://irevues.inist.fr/tima-editions

Organizational culture, subcultures, and organizational commitment

The purpose of this study was to examine whether three custodial groups in the same organization differ in their behavioral norms and shared values, and, if so, to what extent do these differences impact organizational commitment. Two major questions were of concern: (a) whether there were any differences in the perceptions of three custodial groups of their behavioral norms and shared values at the workplace; and (b) whether there were any relationships between these two components of organizational culture and organizational commitment of the custodians;A survey was administered to 63 custodians in the Residence department of a land-grant university. The custodians were located in three different workplaces and belonged to three different supervisory teams. The instrument used was a questionnaire developed using three different existing instruments to assess custodians\u27 perceptions about behavioral norms using the Kilmann-Saxton Culture Gap Survey (KSCG, 1983); shared values using the Survey of Organizations (SOO) by Taylor and Bowers (1972); and organizational commitment using the Organizational Commitment Questionnaire (OCQ) by Mowday, Steers, and Porter (1979);Data were analyzed by means of oneway ANOVA to determine differences between the three custodial groups in their perceptions about behavioral norms, shared values, and organizational commitment. T-tests were performed to determine differences between custodial groups as it relates to different selected elements of demographics. Pearson correlation was used to determine relationships between behavioral norms and organizational commitment, and between shared values and organizational commitment;Findings are discussed based on the specific research questions. Among other outcomes, it was concluded that all three groups reported similar perceptions about behavioral norms and shared values. It was also concluded that all three groups reported a strong commitment to their organization. Implications for the Residence department are also discussed

Working of parliamentary institutions in Egypt 1924-1952

The foregoing study shows that the parliamentary system, as it functioned in Egypt between 1924 and 1952, was not a success. This failure was due to various inter-related factors. In spite of the fact that prior to the introduction of the parliamentary system in 1924, semi- parliamentary government had been found in Egypt, the democratic concept as emphasised by the 1923 Constitution was rather an advanced system in view of the political comprehension of the people and their social and economic conditions. The introduction of the parliamentary system in Egypt was the ultimate result of the 1919 Revolt. But this Revolt flared up with the aim of ridding the country of the British Occupation and without any conception whatever of the system of government to be applied in Egypt after the achievement of the objective of the Revolt. Accepting these facts, as well as the fact that the Revolt was an expression of the Egyptian national spirit, the failure of the 1919 Revolt is self evident. Instead of the struggle for the independence of Egypt being continued, a parliamentary system was imported from Europe. Democracy, which has developed and flourished in the West, is not a political doctrine for exportation to other countries. That system, in order to be successful, should evolve and develop within the community to which it is applied. Not only was the political structure in Egypt cursed with the application of a foreign political doctrine, but also the Constitution, which provided for the parliamentary system, was drawn up on the pattern of the Belgian Constitution:. No allowance was made in view of the great differences between the social, economic and political conditions of Egypt and Belgium. Therefore, the basic factor leading to the unsuccessful working of democracy in Egypt, is the unfitness of the parliamentary system, as described by the 1923 Constitution, to match the conditions of the country. The position of Britain with relation to the institutions of government in Egypt, supplies another cause of the failure of the working of parliamentary institutions. The continual interference of Britain in Egypt's internal political affairs, especially before the conclusion of the 1936 Treaty, is manifest. That interference did not stop with the conclusion of that treaty; the influence exerted by Britain on parliamentary institutions in Egypt continued, though in a disguised shape. The problem of the settlement of Anglo- Egyptian relations pushed all political potentialities in Egypt towards one object. All political activities were concentrated on attempts to settle Egypt's relation with Britain. Political parties and groups exploited the nationalist tendencies of the people by directing their attention to this one aspect of the political problem of Egypt. All efforts were made to solve a problem which did not concern Egypt only, while nothing was done for the promotion of democratic government. Politicians did not try to tackle the internal political and social problems, and the mass of the people found their interest and satisfaction in the question of the achievement of the national aspirations. There was no solid ground in Egyptian society for the development of varying political parties. Their programmes were alike, and they did not differ on matters of policy. Yloreover, they differed slightly in the methods they followed to achieve their ends. The challenge between different political parties was only motivated by their determination to reach the seats of the mighty. The Wafd, which enjoyed continuously the support of the mass of the people, originated with the 1919 Revolt. The activities and programmes of that party were mainly drawn on a pattern to satisfy the national sentiments of the people. Although it showed some democratic inclinations, the Wafd did not to ment of parliamentary government in Egypt. In their opposition to the Wafd, other political parties really derived their power from the King, and did not have much popular support. All political parties, including the Wafd, were an important factor in the failure of representative government in Egypt. They did not try to educate public opinion, promote the political consciousness of the people, and bring to their attention and understanding the different problems of the country. Although the King was non -responsible, and was not entitled to practice as full authority as he did, he was the point of focus of the political system in Egypt. This special position of the King was due not only to the fact that the Constitution itself was ambiguous and conferred on the sovereign an extensive authority, but to the fact that other political institutions did not check effectively the practice of the prerogatives of the King. If any of these institutions tried to exercise its constitutional rights to control the acts of the King, these attempts carne after too long a period of reluctance and revealed only the weakness of these institutions. The King's right to appoint and dismiss his ministers caused a relative weakness of the Cabinet. On the other hand, his right to dissolve the Chamber of Deputies gave some power to the Cabinet in its relation with Parliament. This means that the omnipotence of the Cabinet appeared only when it faced the people and their representatives. However, this power of the Cabinet was derived from the autocracy of the King. The Cabinet's weakest spot was its inability to frame far -seeing and stable policies. This was not due only to the inefficient party system, but was also the natural outcome of the short life of the Cabinet. This short life was the result of the interference of the King in dismissing or demanding the resignation of the Cabinet, or by foreign interference, but hardly by the will of the people expressed through their representatives. The Cabinet did not face any criticism from Parliament. Actually Parliament functioned to ratify the Cabinet's actions whether in the administrative or legislative fields. The weakness of Parliament was very obvious. The basic reason of that weakness is the electoral system according to which members of Parliament were elected. It resulted from the fact that Parliament did not constitute in miniature the society which it represented. No representatives of the working classes were found amongst members of Parliament. The so- called representatives of the people were mainly from social classes which had interests conflicting with the mass of the people. This situation was due not only to the social framework in Egypt, but it was also created by the interference of the administration in the running of the elections. Parliament failed to perform its legislative function and to enact laws meeting the social necessities of the country. Its task was merely to give consent to the bills prepared by the ,Cabinet, and to those private member's bills which gained the consent of the Cabinet. The Senate, however, succeeded in acquiring more legislative authority than it possessed under the Constitution, and its predominence over the Chamber of Deputies was manifest. In performing their function of controlling the Cabinet, both chambers of Parliament were incompetent. The Cabinet exerted influence on both chambers through the rights of the King to nominate two -fifths of the Senators and to dissolve the Chamber of Deputies. Sometimes the powerfal majority which the governing party had in Parliament, helped the Cabinet to keep both onambers under its influence

The Role of the Islamic Waqf in the Equitable Distribution of Wealth in Jordan (2015-2020)

This study aims to shed light on the role of the Islamic Waqf in the equitable distribution of wealth in Jordan between 2015 and 2020. It is the role of the Ministry of Awqaaf and Islamic Affairs as the official government body responsible for the Islamic Waqf in Jordan whose endowment funds directed to mosques, health, education, needy and public sector. The results showed that a disproportionate percentage of spending was directed to the mosques, and the need for the Islamic Waqf to allocate the funds raised from the rich people to support the poor people, and vulnerable population as well as the relevant health education services

Phytoplankton population structure of the Anzali wetland (2010 and 2011)

Phytoplankton groups are very important producers in the Anzali wetland having a significant role in the quality and need to be constantly studied in term of their sequence and density. This survey was conducted at 6 stations between March 2011 and February 2012. According to the results, 67 different genera (22 Bacillariophyta, 26 Chlorophyta, 9 Cyanobacteria, 5 Cryptophyta, 1 Euglenophyta, 2 Chrysophyta, 1Dinoflgellata and 1 Xanthophyta) were identified. Most observed in Sorkhankol and Karkan stations with the annual average of 24.4±5.6 and 20.4± 5.4 cells/ liter respectively. The Bacillariophyta particularly Cyclotella was dominant in all of the stations, but high abundance of Cyanobacteria in Karkan station from July to mid-October caused the annual average of this phylum to be more than Bacillariophyta. The highest and lowest phytoplankton abundances were observed in September and December, respectively. The number of phytoplankton genera and diversity in this study were less than previous studies

Multivariate calibration of antioxidant activity of M. charantia fruits and its fourier transform infrared spectroscopy based fingerprinting

Momordica charantia is widely consumed edible fruit. The food and pharmaceutical industries use it as a natural antioxidant. However, the quality control of M. charantia-based medicinal products is questionable due to the complexity of metabolites in this fruit. Hence, this study has developed a statistical model in predicting the antioxidant value through the 2, 2-diphenyl-1 picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity and ferric reducing antioxidant power based on infrared spectroscopy with attenuated total reflectance. This technique was reliably used for quality control. Six ethanol extracts (0, 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100% in water) of this plant’s fruit were prepared. The radical scavenging and ferric reducing antioxidant power activities were measured and the chemical profiling of the extracts was fingerprinted by infrared spectroscopy between 4,000 and 600 cm−1 at a resolution of 4 cm−1. Statistical analysis was developed by correlating the bioactivity and infrared spectra of each extract using orthogonal partial least square discriminant analysis. The C–N, C=O, C–O, C–H, and OH infrared signals were positively correlated with biological activity. The antioxidant activity of the fruit of M. charantia may be due to the presence of several antioxidants that work synergistically

Serum vitamin D in patients with mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease

Objectives: To determine the relevance of Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D3), and 1,25(OH)2D3 concentrations to mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and various stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Materials and Methods: The study included 230 participants (>74 years) allocated to three main groups: 1-healthy subjects (HS, n = 61), 2-patients with MCI (n = 61), and 3- patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) subdivided into three stages: mild (n = 41), moderate (n = 35), and severe AD (n = 32). The cognitive status was evaluated using MMSE. Serum 25 (OH)D3 (ng/ml) and 1,25(OH)2D3 concentrations (pg/ml) were determined by competitive radioimmunoassay. Results: MMSE scores and 25(OH)D3 were decreased in MCI and all stages of the AD in both genders. MMSE variability was due to gender in HS (11%) and to 25(OH)D3 in MCI (15%) and AD (26%). ROC analysis revealed an outstanding property of MMSE in diagnosis of MCI (AUC, 0.906; CI 95%, 0.847–0.965; sensitivity 82%; specificity, 98%) and AD (AUC, 0.997; CI 95%, 0.992–1; sensitivity, 100%; specificity, 98%). 25(OH)D3 exhibited good property in MCI (AUC, 0.765; CI 95%, 0.681–0.849; sensitivity, 90%; specificity, 54%) and an excellent property in diagnosis of AD (AUC, 0.843; CI 95%, 0.782–0.904; sensitivity, 97%; specificity, 79%). Logistic analyses revealed that, in MCI, MMSE could predict (or classify correctly) with 97.6% accuracy (Wald, 15.22, β, −0.162; SE, 0.554; OR = 0.115:0.039–0.341; p =.0001), whereas 25(OH)D3 with 80% accuracy (Wald, 41,013; β, −0.213; SE, 0.033; OR = 0.808: 0.757–863; p =.0001). 25(OH)D3 was the only significant predictor for the severe AD and contributed to MMSE variability. Age and gender were significant predictors only in the moderate AD. In patients with MCI, 25(OH)D3 and 1,25(OH)2D3 were correlated men, but in case of the AD, they were correlated in women. Conclusions: MMSE and serum 25(OH)D3 concentrations could be useful biomarkers for prediction and diagnosis of MCI and various stages of the AD. The results support the utility of vitamin D supplementation in AD therapy regimen. © 2018 The Authors. Brain and Behavior published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc

Libraries in major universities in Lebanon.

This paper puts the contemporary situation of some Lebanese university libraries in a broader context. It introduces the country, and outlines its higher education system, library science education, professional association, and publishing activity. It reviews the varying situations in the libraries of 3 selected Universities - the American University of Beirut, the Beirut Arab University and the Lebanese University, and contrasts this with other university libraries in the Arab world. It adds to the body of published knowledge about the current situation in respect of management, staffing, buildings, automation, information retrieval, bibliographic records, online and CD databases, and document delivery. The limited published information was supplemented by interviews with a number of staff to elicit their views on the current situation and a survey of students experiences of using the libraries. With the exception of the American University of Beirut, the libraries facilities and services are not comparable to best practice in other Arab countries or the western world. This work highlighted some of the difficulties encountered by the libraries and their users, perhaps not entirely the result of the civil war, but indicates that plans are in place to take the libraries to the next step of development